Attachment for telephone-desks



(No Model.)

B. SGHRAM. 7' ATTACHMENT EpE TELEPHONE DESKS. No. 428,818; Patented May 27, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERTIIOLD SOHRAM, OF MILIVAUKEE, IVISOONSIN.

ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONE-DESKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,818, dated May 27, 1890. Application filed December 17, 1888. Serial No. 293,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTI-IOLD SCHRAM, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of IVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Slate and Attachments for Telephone- Desks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My newly-invented device is intended for use in connection with a telephone apparatus, and is adapted to be placed on a little desk that is the cover of the case that incloses the battery at the place of receiving or sending telephone-messages In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my complete device located and supported 011 the desk or lid of a telephone-battery case. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of my device on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view from the under side of one of the clips of my device.

The battery-case A is affixed to the wall by means of a bracket B, to which the case is attached, and is provided with a top which is slightly inclined so as to adapt it for, and is, a desk 0.

My newly-invented device consists 'of a slate D, which may be of the ordinary slatestone, though preferably a silica slate, and is of such size as to fit upon and just cover laterally the top of the desk 0. The slate D is secured to the top of the desk 0 by means of two spring-metal clips E E, which are attached to the slate on the under side so as to leave the top of the slate entirely clear of any projections or other thing that would occupy any portion of its surface, so that there is nothing on the surface of the slate to interfere with the free movement of the hand over it, nor is there anything to occupy any part of its useful space, and thereby lessen the amount of available surface. These clips are turned downwardly and then inwardly, so as to clasp the edge of the desk 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby the slate is held securely to the desk, and the clips then are turned outwardly, forming a recess F of a proper size and adapted for receiving and holding therein a pencil or crayon, and are then turned downwardly, forming a short tang G, to which a cord II is attached, on which cord is suspended a small metal cup I, adapted to hold water, the cup being so suspended that by gravity the water is in the bottom part and holds the cup upright to such an extent that the water will not spill out when so suspended. Asponge K is secured in the top of a sponge-cup L, which has an inwardly-flaring top edge M and a perforated bottom N, this sponge-cup being fitted and adapted to enter the top of the cup I, in which it fits so snugly as to be retained therein, except by considerable force to remove it. This device, as will be understood by its construction, is intended and adapted for erasing any marks or writing upon the slate, the perforated bottom of the spongecup permitting a suflicient amount of water to run into the sponge when the cup I is inverted, to so wet the sponge that by rubbing it over the surface of the slate it will wash therefrom all marks or writing thereon.

The method of inserting and supporting the pencil O in the recess Fis shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and it will be seen that the pencil is located below the desk and out of the way of the movements of the hand over the desk, and also in such position that it is more readily reached by the hand than if it were on top of the desk, at the top of the slate, or elsewhere. On the surface of the slate at the left hand I rule permanently two columnsP and R, the left-hand column Pbeingintended for inserting therein the number of a telephone call, and the upper part of the other column B being intended for inserting therein the name of the person or lirm whose telephone number is inserted in the column P opposite thereto, this last being made up of those persons or firms who are most frequently called by the person having my slate in use, whereby the name of the person or firm and their telephone number are readily seen, and the lower part of the columns P and R below that part marked Special is intended and adapted for the entry therein by an office-boy or other person temporarily in charge of an office of the name and telephone number of any person or persons who may call by telephone in the absence of the principal from the oiliee, and who may desire to be Called up when the principal returns.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure 5 by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the case of a telephone-battery, of a slate of such form and LERLHOLD construction as to tit and rest on top of the \Vitnesses: case, and bent elastic clips secured to the slate U. T. BENEDICT,

10 on the under side thereof, one ateach lateral JAS. l ERWIN. 

